


Sneaking Importance

by MadgieMomo



Category: Free!
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, No Plot/Plotless, One Shot, One Style Final!, Post-Episode: S01E07 One Style Final!, Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-04
Updated: 2014-11-04
Packaged: 2018-02-24 02:15:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2564603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadgieMomo/pseuds/MadgieMomo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When did you become so special to me?</p><p>Rin begins to realize just how much Ai means to him. Takes place after Season 1, Episode 7.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sneaking Importance

 

_When did you become so special to me?_

For so long Rin had focused all of his time and energy on beating Haruka. Like that was the one and only thing that mattered. So of course, when creeping feelings for another began to surface, it would take some time before he noticed. But sooner or later, even the best kept secrets are revealed. But who would have ever thought that the heart of Rin Matsuoka could be so easily swept away by such a clueless underclassman?

Looking back on it, Rin decided that he probably would never have realized his feelings if not for Nitori’s reaction to Rin’s decision to visit his father’s grave. His assumption that Rin had decided to kill himself was nothing if not imprudent. So why did those fast-formed tears in those innocent blue eyes make Rin’s heart skip a beat? At the time, Rin hadn’t thought twice about it. He was far too focused on the tournament to be bothered by little tricks of the heart. But what about afterwards?

 

“That was amazing, Senpai! Congratulations!” Nitori’s bright eyes were practically sparkling with pride and happiness for his roommate and upperclassman. He knew that this is the one thing that Rin had wanted more than anything. And seeing Rin smile made Nitori’s heart want to leap for joy.

Rin looked down at him for a moment before smiling and replying, “Thanks. You too, Nitori.”

“T-thanks.” Nitori looked down, his face a little red. It wasn’t often that Rin praised others. “Now that you’ve finally beat Nanase-san, will you be able to move on?”

He looked back up at Rin, who was staring elsewhere. Nitori followed his gaze to where the members of the Iwatobi Swim Club were consoling their assistant manager. Haruka, though to the untrained eye looked completely unfazed, was obviously hurting.

“Um, if you don’t mind me asking, Matsuoka-senpai, what did you say to Nanase-san after you won the race?”

As soon as those words were spoken, something flashed in Rin’s eyes. Any bond that was between them from today was surely now severed. “None of your business.”

With that, Rin walked away, unsmiling. Captain Mikoshiba, having noticed this, looked to Nitori to see what had transpired. Nitori would not meet his eyes. All he could think to himself was, _Nice work, genius._

 

After the tournament, they all took the bus back to Samezuka together. Rin was congratulated many times by all of his classmates. He’d never known that so much praise could be so tiresome. Nitori sat with some of the other boys in his year, though he mostly stared out the window.

_I shouldn’t have snapped at him like that._

It was rather late by the time they arrived back at the academy, though a lot of the boys had decided to stay up and celebrate. Nitori claimed to be tired, and went straight to bed. After a few minutes of listening to mindless party chatter, Rin too, said he had better things to do and left. He’d never admit it was because he was worried.

Usually Nitori seemed to follow Rin around like a lost puppy, so he must have been pretty hurt to go back to the room on his own. Rin opened the door to find a dark dorm room. He can’t seriously have gone to bed already?

“Nitori? You awake?”

Silence.

“Shit…”

Well that was just perfect. That’s what he needed. For the last person who actually cared to be mad at him. _No…_ Rin thought. _Nitori isn’t the type of person to get angry._ Rin was always so busy with his own goals that he only ever seemed to push people away. But Nitori was different. No matter how self-absorbed Rin became, Nitori stood by him, cheering him on. Why was that? It’s not as though Rin was especially nice to him. Somehow it just seemed as though Nitori was always there. They’d only known each other for a few months, but in that time, without Rin’s noticing it, Nitori had somehow become important to him. Knowing this, the thought of Nitori being upset with him, somehow, had suddenly become unbearable.

Rin stepped inside the room and eased the door shut, making sure to be as silent as possible. He made his way over to the bed, where his junior was fast asleep on the top bunk. Standing on his own bottom bunk, Rin gripped the rail and leant over enough to see Nitori’s face in the dim light of the open window. He looked so peaceful, so innocent. Like an angel sleeping on a cloud. Rin craned his neck forward, placing a single kiss on the boy’s forehead. Just as he was about to step down, Nitori’s head fell slightly to the side, and in his sleep, he smiled.

“Senpai…” was the single word that escaped his lips. His voice was barely a whisper.

That was more than Rin could take.

“Nitori.” Rin made sure that his voice was loud enough to wake his roommate up, but low enough not to scare him. He didn’t know exactly where this would be going, but after that little twirl in his heart, he decided that something had to be done.

“Matsuoka-senpai?” Nitori croaked, his voice full of exhaustion. “What time is it?” He began to sit up and look around before his tired eyes looked suddenly panicked.

“You’re not still mad at me are you?”

“What were you dreaming about?”

Even in the dark, the tinge of red on Nitori’s face could easily be seen. “I—It was…”

“Was it about me?”

Nitori looked positively frantic now. He stuttered and fidgeted for a few moments, before he hung his head in submission.

“I’m sorry…”

And that was it. All of Rin’s self-control seemed to fly out the window as Rin caught Nitori’s lips in a hungry kiss. One hand tangled itself in Nitori’s hair, pulling him closer, while the other pushed down on the guard rail, causing the bed to creak. Little gasps and moans escaped Nitori’s mouth now and then, only making Rin want more. He pulled away, allowing Nitori to gasp for air. Rin hoisted himself onto the top bunk, and wasted no time in pinning the smaller boy down by his wrists. By now, Nitori’s face was bright red, and his eyes shone with a mix of fear, confusion, and perhaps something else.

“Se-Senpai…I don’t underst—mmph!” His words were cut off by Rin’s lips, which once again had crashed against his own. But this time it was only for a second.

“Don’t ever let me treat you like that again!” Rin was almost yelling. Nitori looked almost terrified.

“I-I’m sorry?”

“If I say something like that—something that hurts you—there’s no reason why you should have to take it. You can get mad at me. Yell. I don’t care, just learn to stand up for yourself. I…I don’t want to push you away.”

Red eyes averted. Blue stared in disbelief.

“You’re not mad at me?”

“You didn’t do anything!” Rin snapped.

“I’m sorry. I just assumed because you always get upset when someone mentions Nanase-san…and you seemed angry…” Nitori trailed off, looking away.

“I was just thinking of something from a long time ago. It’s not something you need to worry about.”

“But, I do worry! I don’t want to be a bother to you, but, Senpai, I really wish you’d open up to me more!”

Now was Rin’s turn to stare. This time, their gaze was interlocked. After a while, Rin’s mouth curled up into a tiny smirk.

“Don’t you understand?” Nitori’s wrists were released, as strong arms wrapped around him, pulling him up to Rin’s chest, where a pounding heart could be heard. “You’re the _only_ one I open up to.”

 

That night, two boys fell asleep smiling. One nestled safely in the other’s arms. Who knows when it all started. After all, these things can have a way of sneaking up on you. But for the first time in a long time, Rin felt as though he had someone who really, truly, cared. And he wasn’t about to let this one get away.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you so much for reading my first Free! fic. I actually wrote this around a year or so ago, but for some reason never posted it. I found it again recently and decided I wanted to share it. Comments are greatly appreciated!


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